


just between you and i

by saltalyn



Series: he's the sun and he's the moon [4]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell, Simon Snow & Related Fandoms
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, But only a bit, M/M, Party, Spin the Bottle, Underage Drinking, You Decide, any group game at a party or gathering is one of my fav fanfic tropes ever, i literally dont know at this point, once again baz is an emo bitch, penny might be an alcoholic, rated teen for you should know by now, rhys and gareth might be a couple, simon gets a bit Angsty in this one, tbh i wish rowell created more side characters, the ocs are just random girls at the party lol, trixie and keris are the sapphics we love and deserve, you decide!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26189458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltalyn/pseuds/saltalyn
Summary: Dev and Niall force Baz to go to a party that Trixie is throwing. Drinking and partying leads to a game of spin the bottle. Simon and Baz are participants, I think you know what happens next.prompt #18: "Let's play a game!"
Relationships: Dev & Niall & Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch, Keris/Trixie (Simon Snow), Penelope Bunce & Simon Snow, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Series: he's the sun and he's the moon [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1865137
Kudos: 127





	just between you and i

**Author's Note:**

> This one does not need to be taken super seriously, lol. Well, there's a small amount of Simon angst in the beginning but that's it! Title is from that one song that's like "let's play a little game, just between you and i". I think you get what lead me to my title choice. Anyways, enjoy!!!

**BAZ**

“No.”

The boys are trying to get me to go to some houseparty a classmate is hosting. One weekend every other month, an upperclassman at Watford throws a party. It’s sort of a tradition, Dev’s told me that they’ve had them since at least his mum attended.

“Come  _ on _ , Basil. You need to loosen up a bit. When’s the last time you went to a party?” Niall asks.

I huff. “Last year.”

“Baz! It’s nearly the end of term, you’ve been so uptight lately. You need a drink,” Dev pitches in.

They seem genuinely concerned for my well being. Good men.

I take a breath to refuse again.

“Snow’ll be there,” Niall says quickly. My mouth snaps shut and I freeze. I regret telling them about my crush on Snow. Bastards. (They don’t know that I’m hopelessly in love with him. They think it’s an innocent crush.)

I’d jump at any chance to see Simon Snow in non-Watford issued clothes. I do  _ not _ snoop in his wardrobe but I happen to know that it’s rather barren. He owns a few pairs of trackie bottoms, one pair of ratty jeans, and some threadbare t-shirts. You’d think being the Mage’s Heir and all would entail owning more clothes but the Mage is a dick.

“How do you know that?” I cross my arms. 

“We overheard Penelope Bunce telling him about it, he said he’d go.” I roll my eyes and concede. 

“Fine.” They high-five each other. “Well don’t be so excited. This would have been over much sooner if you wankers led with that.” They watch me with matching shit-eating grins. I pull myself to my feet. “I suppose I’m driving.” They nod. “What if I’d said ‘no’? Who would’ve driven you?”

Dev shrugs and Niall says, “We knew you wouldn’t.” 

“Whatever,” I scowl. I’m halfway out the door when Dev calls,

“Front gate at seven!”

They can't just bribe me into going with the promise of Snow being there  _ and  _ make me drive. 

But here we are.

**SIMON**

Something is going to happen at that party, I can feel it. I haven’t yet figured out if it’s good or bad, though. Penny is forcing me to go. Well, it’s not really forced if I said I was going because of food, is it? On our second lap around the lake, she informed me that Trixie is throwing an infamous Watford weekend party.

After I agreed she said I still had to go even if Agatha might be there. There’s nothing wrong with Aggie, it’s just that we broke up a few days ago. She simply said she didn’t want to be with me anymore, she doesn’t want to be put in danger every year, and she wants to be someone’s ‘now’ rather than future; but we can still be friends. I began Watford with no friends, Penny and I found each other, then Agatha followed. I was strong with two, now, I’m back down to one.

I’m not as upset as I thought I’d be. Agatha was supposed to be with me through thick and thin, and then we’d get married after graduating from Watford and defeating the Humdrum. Now I have nothing waiting for me after the Humdrum. What’s the point? I could die fighting him and it wouldn’t matter. The only people that would really care would be Penny and Ebb.

I wish I could say the Mage would care, but after years of influence from the Bunce women, I realized that he just uses me. I’m his weapon that he’s been grooming for seven years. He found me when I was nothing. When I was just an orphan that everyone steered clear of. 

In retrospect, I now know my magic makes Normals uncomfortable. In my younger years, I’d just thought I was repulsive or something was wrong with me; that’s why I was never adopted, why no one ever played with me. I didn’t have any friends when I was younger, causing me to be mute, essentially. Why talk if no one was there to listen to me? When the Mage picked me up, he told me that I was too powerful for Normals to handle. I’d thought that was cool.

When I met Penelope and she found out I was an orphan, she frowned. (“What?” “Mages don’t abandon their children, we’re too valuable.”) That made me feel like absolute shit. Why am I the only orphan in the World of Mages? Why am I the only magician who doesn’t know who my parents are? Why’d they give me up?

I’d rather not think about that, right now. So I do what I’m best at, I stop thinking.

**PENELOPE**

Simon’s in a piss-poor mood. We’re walking around the lake, he’s got his hands shoved in his trouser pockets, eyes focused on his trainers.

He was fine before I mentioned Agatha.

I shouldn’t have mentioned Agatha. Fuck. 

We go for walks whenever neither of us are busy. Which is when neither of us have class, I’m not studying, and Simon isn’t doing something with (for) the Mage. That tallies up to almost never. 

It’s a shame to let our minimal free time together go to waste, but Simon’s in a strop. He reminds me of how he was in first year, quiet and confused. He nearly never talked when we became friends; I’m proud to say that my inability to shut up influenced him to speak more. 

I glance at his face occasionally and see a furrow between his brows. On my fifth glance I notice his face has gone blank. I nearly roll my eyes. He’s stopped thinking again. Obviously, whatever mental spiral I sparked was either too confusing or painful. I hope it’s the former, I hate seeing him in pain: either physical or emotional.

(Whenever he gets injured on missions for the Mage, I find myself in a rush to fix him. He’s just a boy, he doesn’t need anything else hurting him more than his life already has.)

He sighs. I shuffle closer to him and bump his arm with mine. “What is it?”

He takes a long, slow blink and shrugs. “Nothing, just… y’know.”

I don’t really, but I get the gist. “Good thing we’re going to that party tonight, then, innit? There’s going to be alcohol… I usually don’t condone drinking away your sorrows and all that, but I’ll give you a pass, yeah?” 

He gives me a small smile, I mirror it when he knocks my arm with his.

“You always know what to say, don’t you, Pen?”

I shrug. “I just know you,” I say simply. (I like to think of us as platonic soulmates.)

He meets my eyes and grins fully. We can finally talk now. “How’s your poli-sci homework going?”

**SIMON**

Trixie’s house is rather big. Not as big as Baz’s probably is, but bigger than the Wellbeloves’. Her front lawn is a deep forest green covered in somewhat eccentric plants. There are bushes separating the grass from the pavement covered in bright flowers. There’s a mix of vivid pinks and purples and blues. The house itself is made of brick and two storeys tall.

Penny and I hop out of Gareth’s car, he drove us and Rhys. We walk up to the front door, Penny’s arm in mine.

“Thanks for the ride,” I call back to where Rhys is settling in his wheelchair and Gareth has his hands resting on the handles.

“Yeah,” Penny agrees, “see you inside, boys.”

Once we cross the threshold, I feel the vibrations of the music rattling in my chest. The lights are dim, making everyone blur together. “Bloody hell,” I groan. Penny scoffs. I can’t hear her but I feel her jerk.

“Penelope! Simon!” Trixie greets. “Come on in! Let’s get you set with some drinks, just follow me to the kitchen.”

Penny rolls her eyes. She’s always been annoyed by Trixie, but I think she’s kind, if a bit ditsy. And she and Keris are cute together.

We weave around dancing teenagers and trail her into the kitchen. “All right, we’ve gin, vodka, tequila, whiskey, bourbon, beer, mead, a few juices, and water, of course,” she lists. Oh, Merlin. I don’t drink much. The last time I consumed alcohol, it was just a shot of vodka and pineapple juice. “I’ll leave you to it.” She departs with a smile as I thank her.

Penelope is already mixing whiskey with some fruit juice. She presses it into my hand, “Drink up, Simon, I want you buzzed.”

She downs a shot of gin and chases it with soda.

“Penny, I didn’t know you drank like this,” I tease.

“I don’t, I just watch a lot of those idiotic coming of age films,” she says.

“Why watch them if they’re idiotic?” I continue.

“Why are you still talking? You should be drinking.” I roll my eyes but take a sip.

**BAZ**

I’ve been standing in a corner, nursing a margarita, observing the room. The boys and I already took two shots of bourbon, so I’m a bit tipsy. Dev and Niall are out in the centre of the foyer, dancing with the other mongrels that make up the Watford student body.

Simon Snow looks… ethereal. He’s wearing a blue polo that matches his eyes and black skinny jeans that hug his thighs  _ perfectly _ . If I were a lesser man I would be salivating. Where did he even get those clothes? I don’t care, all that matters is that he looks like that and it’s driving me insane.

“Hello, Basil,” says a light, airy voice. Agatha Wellbelove. I almost startle before I greet her, tilting my head to look at her. She considers me eagerly, eyes bright.

We have a slightly awkward conversation filled with inane small talk. She and the Chosen One separated not too long ago, and now she’s trying to move on to me. I resist from scowling at her. Simon has always been jealous of how Wellbelove looked at me (and how I presumably looked back, but my gaze was always geared toward him). I know she’s at least… interested me, but I could never return her attention. I, for one, am very gay. Second, I’m in love with her ex-boyfriend.

“I must be off,” I say, “Dev, Niall, and I are planning on getting more drinks.” I finish off my margarita and stalk off. I plunge into the crowd of sweaty teenagers writhing and jumping around. Dev and Niall are dancing with a few girls that I can’t remember the names of. “Boys,” I say, raising my voice to be heard over the pop music.

Dev ignores me but Niall says, “What?”

“We’re getting drinks. I need to get away from Wellbelove, she’s attempting to chat me up,” I scoff.

That must pique Dev’s interest, “All right. We’ll see you lot later, yeah?” The girls nod and carry on dancing.

The kitchen is a much welcome change of lighting and noise. It’s brighter here, and the music is a bit muffled. Trixie and Keris are snogging on a countertop and I feel a bit jealous. Niall shoves a shot of vodka and a coke into my hands.

The boys are flushed red from all the alcohol, I hope my complexion has remained unbothered.

“Beer’s fucking disgusting,” I hear a voice say, a voice I know all too well. Snow is stumbling into the kitchen, arm draped around Bunce’s shoulders. His eyes are bright and his face is as red as a fire engine. 

“The taste won’t matter if you’re sloshed,” Bunce says rather loudly. I repress the urge to snort. Bunce rolls her eyes when she sees me. “Basil.”

“Bunce,” I nod. Snow gasps as if just now noticing me.

“Hi, Baz,” he greets. That’s the happiest he’s ever sounded around me. My blasted stomach flutters. Why is he excited to see me?

“Hello, Snow.” I feel my face heat. Crowley. Dev and Niall beam at me and nudge my arm suggestively. I’m not pissed enough to deal with this. I down two shots of vodka and leave the kitchen, not bothering to chase it. At least I got the chance to replenish my margarita before Snow walked in.

The boys follow me after a moment. “What was that about?” Dev asks both of us.

Niall shrugs. I attempt to get my blush in control before responding, “I’ve no bloody clue.”

**.o.O.o.**

A few hours into the party, the music quiets, Keris jumps atop a table and shouts, slurring, “Let’s play a game!” I groan.

_ Spin the bottle!  _ party-goers begin chanting. 

“Yes!” The boys say triumphantly. 

“Spin the bottle it is!” Keris says. “All participants in the sitting room!”

Niall grabs my wrist and attempts to drag me. “Absolutely fucking not,” I say.

Dev rolls his eyes good-naturedly. “Baz you  _ have  _ to play. What’ll you do while we’re in there?  _ Dance _ ?”

He’s right, I’ll be stuck with all the others still dancing. I wrench my hand out of Niall’s grasp and stalk toward the sitting room.

Teenagers gather inside, drinks sloshing around and bumping into one another. After settling in an attempt at a circle, I notice who’s all here. Snow, Bunce, Wellbelove, Rhys, Gareth, and an assortment of upperclassmen I never bothered learning the names of. Snow is nearly directly across the circle from me.

Trixie produces an empty bottle of whiskey. “There’s only one rule,” she proclaims, as if delivering a message from the queen, “you  _ must _ kiss the person the bottle lands on. Of course, you still have to kiss those of the same-sex, this isn’t the eighties.” That gets a few chuckles. “Obviously, no spelling the bottle or tampering with it in any way. Keris’ll start.” 

She spins the bottle and it lands on Rhys. She jumps into his lap and plants a sloppy kiss to his mouth. They both giggle. I look at Trixie, she doesn’t seem to have any qualms about her girlfriend kissing a boy.

Rhys kisses Niall, Niall kisses a sixth year, that sixth year kisses Dev. Dev lands on Wellbelove. He’s always fancied her a bit, but she was with Snow the entire time. And now she isn’t. Dev tries to hide his grin. He crawls toward her--it’s an awkward peck. I chance a glance at Snow, his nose crinkles and Bunce flicks his thigh. Wellbelove lands on Bunce. Simon slaps a hand over his mouth to smother his cackles. (It’s incredibly endearing.)

Bunce punches his shoulder. Wellbelove shrugs and crosses the circle, she places her hands on Bunce’s shoulders. Right before their lips meet, they both let out a laugh.

“Sorry, sorry,” Wellbelove says. If she didn’t have alcohol in her system, I think she’d have more of a problem with this situation. They give each other a light peck. The circle gives their customary snickers and whoops. I’ve gotten this far unscathed. 

When Bunce lands on Trixie, she gives an overtly false smile. Snow has tears in the corner of his eyes with how hard he’s laughing. (He looks gorgeous. I wish I wasn’t in love with him.) Bunce gives Trixie a quick kiss and scowls on her way back to Simon’s side. His laughter turns into a shriek when she pinches his abdomen. 

Trixie’s spin lands on Simon and I flinch. She giggles and stumbles over to him. She cups his neck and leans in. I watch his eyes slowly shut as she inches closer. She presses a rough, somewhat long kiss to his lips, then pulls away with a smack. I’ve never wanted to be anyone more than I want to be Trixie right now. Simon eyelids jump apart, he looks bewildered. Their lips met for longer than mostly everyone else, I think, I’m not sure. Keris scoffs and rolls her eyes. Maybe their kiss  _ was _ longer… I try wracking my brain for a reason why but I come up with nothing. When Trixies sits back down next to Keris, Keris glares at her--but Trixie just grins.

I watch Simon’s hands (I have an odd affinity for hands, or maybe just Snow’s.) clumsily spin the bottle. Time seems to slow down as the bottle does the same. It’s getting close and it stops… pointing at me. The circle falls silent.

The entire school knows about Simon and I’s emulation. They know we’ve always fought, physically and verbally as some of our disputes have been public. The participants seem to vibrate in anticipation. Internally, alarms are going off in my head. I’m pissed enough that panic flashes across my face before I quickly suppress it with a scowl and glare. 

Simon is just staring at me. I’m frozen, I’ve no idea what to do. 

“Rules are rules, boys,” Gareth says. That seems to make Simon move. He gets to his feet slowly, eyebrows furrowing and gaze hardening. We maintain eye contact as he comes closer, I can’t look away. He drops to his knees in front of my crossed legs. My eyes widen. This is really happening, Simon Snow is actually about to kiss me and we’re not surrounded by fire; he isn’t kissing me as I die in his arms. 

This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.

Simon places hands on my neck. I begin to hyperventilate. 

“Y'alright?” he mutters, slurring, inches away from my face.

“Yes,” I breathe. I’m lying.

His head tilts forward and I slam my eyes shut. I’ve never kissed anyone. My first kiss is about to be with the love of my life in front of our peers. Fuck a nine-toed troll, I’d rather be expelled from Watford.

His lips slot with mine, my left hand shoots up and grips his wrist for support.

**SIMON**

When I kiss Baz (I’m actually kissing Baz,  _ Tyrannus Basilton fucking Grimm-Pitch _ .) something seems to click into place. A light sparks in my brain and I notice that I’ve always wanted to do this, it just seems  _ right _ . 

His lips are soft.

I pull away slowly, my eyes wide as I meet Baz’s. There’s a look in his eyes that I’ve never seen previously. Before I can even think about deciphering it, he stands, a mask of indifference sliding over his face before he turns and walks away, urgency in his stride. 

I register the circle whooping and hollering. I look at Penny, she meets my gaze with a curious look. She gestures toward the door Baz exited through and I follow him.

I run into an eighth year, Laila Evans, literally. “Have you seen Baz Pitch?” I ask. She points at the stairway. I thank her as I trot off. 

There’s only light shining from under two doors, and one is the loo. I find Baz in what must be Trixie’s bedroom. He looks rumpled, head leaned against the closed window. 

I open my mouth, then close it, realizing that I’ve no idea what to say.

“Why’d you run away?” I blurt out. Baz sighs. I’ve never seen him look so defeated. What’s wrong with him?

“Because,” he says, “it’s  _ you _ , and I’ve never…” he trails off.

“That was your first kiss?” I ask incredulously. Why would no one have kissed Baz? Why has he never had a girlfriend? He’s perfect and smart and gorgeous and strong and elegant, people should be lining up to date him.  _ I _ want to date him. 

That thought is a shock… but at the same time, it isn’t. I’ve always thought Baz was perfect, everything I wasn’t. Instead, now, he’s everything I  _ want. _

“I’m sorry,” I say.

“Why in the world are you apologizing, Snow?” he sounds tired, weary.

“Your first kiss isn’t supposed to be during some stupid game in front of everyone you know,” I say. He deserves better than that. “It’s not supposed to be with someone you hate.”

He pushes off of the window and collapses onto the bed. He looks out of place sprawled across a pink duvet. He mutters something I can’t quite make out, head in his hands.

“What?”

“I don’t hate you,” he says. That’s a surprise.

“Then what the bloody hell have we been doing for the last six years?” How could he  _ not _ hate me? The very first day we met he was antagonistic and rude. He has been every day since. He tried to get a chimera to kill me, he punched me down the stairs and broke my nose. He stays silent. “If you don’t hate me, then why’d you run away because ‘it’s  _ me _ ’?”

He lets out a rough sigh. “You’re the Mage’s Heir, I’m the heir to the House of Pitch, I’m not supposed to-” he cuts himself off.

“Not supposed to what?” Merlin, why can’t he just tell me what’s going on?

“I’m not supposed to… fancy you,” he whispers. I make my way toward him, he looks up at me as I stand directly in front of him. The moonlight shines through the window and casts itself across Baz’s face. He looks beautiful. I’m too drunk to come up with a better word. His eyes appear nearly silver like this. He looks anguished. 

I fancy him too, I think. In this moment of clarity I look back on the tension between us throughout the years. There was always something else there. I recall I felt somewhat… elated whenever we were in each other’s faces, arguing. There’s more between us than just mutual dislike.

Words fail me, so I just cradle his jaw and crush my lips to his. He makes a muffled noise of surprise but relaxes, holding my wrists like he did earlier. I tilt my head and our lips slant together. I settle myself into his lap, his arms come to wrap around my waist tightly. My eyebrows furrow in concentration. Whenever Agatha and I kissed, it didn’t feel like this. I didn’t feel  _ alive _ . Baz lights something up within me, I feel like I’ll go off--not out of fear or anger or hurt, but out of actually feeling good and happy for once.

I move my chin up and down and Baz moans. It’s the most delightful sound I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing. I push my tongue forward, and he moans again, mouth opening slightly. His tongue tastes of tequila. I suppose mine tastes like whiskey. I bring my hand around to the back of his neck, my blunt nails drag through his thick hair. He makes a high-pitched whining noise and I almost break the kiss to smile.

I’m the first person to make Baz feel this good, I’ll cherish it for as long as I can. 

I feel his cool hands against my torso. It feels heavenly, the contrast of my perpetual heat with his constant cold. I sigh into his mouth in pleasure.

He pulls me closer, hands splayed across my back. My legs curl around his hips.

Baz must be a fast learner because this is the second time he’s ever kissed anyone and it’s better than Agatha and Trixie combined. Or maybe just because it's _him_.

I feel Baz’s skin warming up before I pull away. Our chests are heaving and our foreheads are pressed together. I watch his eyelashes flutter and meet his grey gaze. I’ve never been close enough to notice, but his eyes have flecks of blue and green in them, they’re more remarkable than I thought. 

“I fancy you too,” I whisper into the silence. I can tell he’s amused.

“How long?” I shrug and he scowls, “Idiot.” There’s no malice in it, the way he says it is more fond. I smile.

“I dunno,” I say. “I suppose I always have, deep down.” His eyes widen in surprise. “I’ve always thought you were fucking hot, but I guess I never really thought about actually fancying you.” I’m too drunk and happy to explain how I don’t think about things on purpose. “How long for you?”

“... Almost since we first met.”

“Then why were you such a dick?” I ask skeptically.

He snorts. It’s such a cute sound, I find myself beaming at him.

“I was… confused. The Old Families taught me to hate you but when I saw you for the first time I thought you were cute, and I was scared. I didn’t know boys could think like that about other boys.” I press a kiss to his nose.

Baz smiles and my heart stops. I’ve never seen him smile before, he is a sight to behold. His eyes crinkle and the edges and,

“You have dimples,” I stutter out.

“That I do,” he says, delight evident in his tone.

“That- that makes you like ten times cuter-” He gives a theatrical gasp.

“I am  _ not _ cute, how could you possibly denote me with such a derogatory adjective.” I lower my head to his shoulder,

“That’s- that's too many big words, I don’t even know what you said. I’m sozzled.” He laughs and my world brightens. I’ve never heard him laugh, either. I plan on making him laugh as much as I can.

I hear someone stagger into the door and snigger as they walk away.

That seems to pop our little bubble as we both startle. My brain isn’t as fuzzy, I’m not as distracted by Baz. I remember who I am. Who we are. We’re not just two teenage boys snogging at a party. I’m the Chosen One and he’s the heir to the House of Pitch. We’re supposed to be enemies in this impending war. In reality, we’re supposed to kill each other in the end.

I never truly planned on it, I thought there would be another way and I’d figure it out by the time I got there. Or Baz would just kill me, and I was fine with that.

But now everything is different, Baz and I have changed but nothing else has. The outside world expects us to hate one another. 

However, right here, right now, we  _ can _ just be two teenagers, and I can snog the living daylights out of him.

I kiss his neck before I lift my head to focus on Baz’s face. He looks pained and I can tell he’s thinking about the consequences this could result in. If the Families or the Mage found out.

“Baz,” I murmur. He meets my eyes. “We don’t have to think about it right now. We can just enjoy tonight.”

He begins to say something but I place my lips on his. He hums, content. We kiss slower, less fervor and more passion. 

“We’ll be okay,” I say against his lips between kisses.

“I know we will,” he replies.

**Author's Note:**

> if you're curious, trixie and keris have like a celebrity "pass" list, iykyk, and simon is on trixie's list. feel free to leave kudos and a comment!


End file.
